Regardless of what happens this month, the Rockies will be a disappointment. They aren’t going to the playoffs for the third time in five years. They aren’t winning their first-ever National League West crown, those dreams eroding with an awful May.

The issue now is who’s got next? How are the Rockies going to clean up this mess and contend next season?

In a 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks at coat-required Coors Field on Wednesday night, there were reasons for hope — see Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki — and concern. Will the Rockies have enough talent to offset their potential inexperience at key positions?

“It’s different. The pitchers are more consistent,” rookie catcher Wilin Rosario said. “The game is faster.”

With youth comes enthusiasm, energy and mistakes.

Rosario hit his first home run — a 448-foot blast — one of three solo shots for the Rockies. He’s still learning the staff, unable to handle a pair of wild pitches. And he swung at a 2-0 changeup, making an easy out.

“They got me on that one,” Rosario said.

Rex Brothers, a potential closer of the future, saw his 11-game scoreless streak snapped when Justin Upton clobbered his 28th home run. Jordan Pacheco continues to show off a major-league swing, but he has committed errors in his first two games at third base.

“I have to learn fast,” Pacheco said. “If this is the best way to help the team and help my chances of staying, then I just need to keep working hard.”

The Rockies’ recovery, it could be argued, will be measured by Rosario, Brothers, Pacheco and rookie pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz. If three have breakthrough seasons, the Rockies’ path back to contention becomes a lot smoother. If not? Then the Rockies are in danger of going 5-13 against the Diamondbacks, as they did this season. Despite his third career home run, Kevin Millwood was tagged for the latest loss.

Gonzalez hit his 25th home run, a 442-foot shot to right field. Despite enduring a forgettable April and missing nearly three weeks because of a wrist injury, Gonzalez has a realistic chance at reaching 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.

“I just don’t like playing for (numbers). My reason to play is to be a champion,” Gonzalez said.

Tulowitzki is already there, becoming only the second shortstop in National League history to reach the 100-RBI milestone — joining Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks.

“It’s hard to enjoy any individual stat right now,” said Tulo-witzki, whose 59-game errorless streak ended in the eighth inning. “The goal of every season is to make the playoffs. Without that, it’s a failure.”

The Rockies need victories in 15 of their remaining 19 games for a winning record.

The succession of failures from multiple players has shifted the Rockies’ focus from results to development.

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

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